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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · date · root · wave · plane · can · band · file

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. band — a music group
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a ring
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. file — a tool
  14. date — the fruit
  15. root — of a word
  16. can — a tin
  17. file — a document
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. root — of a plant
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. plane — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. face — to point toward

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com